Dictionary
The Dictionary provides concise definitions of health economics terms, arranged alphabetically for quick reference. Use it to understand unfamiliar terminology or confirm the meaning of a specific term.
A
- Attributable FractionAttributable Proportion, Aetiologic Fraction
- The proportion of disease cases within a population that would not have occurred without a specific exposure, showing its public health impact.
B
- Benefit IncidenceBenefit Distribution Analysis, Spending Incidence
- An analysis examining how the benefits of public healthcare spending are distributed across population subgroups, such as income quintiles.
- Breast Cancer ScreeningMammography Screening, Breast Screening
- A public health strategy using mammography and other imaging to detect breast cancer in asymptomatic women at defined age-based intervals.
C
- Cancer ScreeningOncology Screening, Cancer Detection Screening
- A public health strategy testing asymptomatic individuals for early cancer signs, aiming to detect disease before it becomes symptomatic and harder to treat.
- Cardiovascular PreventionCVD Prevention, Cardiac Prevention
- Interventions reducing cardiovascular disease incidence by modifying risk factors, such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and smoking, spanning public health and clinical measures.
- Cervical Cancer ScreeningPap Smear Screening, Cervical Screening
- A public health strategy using cytology or HPV testing to detect precancerous changes or early cervical cancer, credited with substantially reducing incidence.
- Colorectal Cancer ScreeningCRC Screening, Colonoscopy Screening
- A public health strategy using colonoscopy or stool-based testing to detect colorectal cancer or precancerous polyps in asymptomatic individuals.
- Contact TracingExposure Tracing, Case Contact Follow-Up
- A public health practice identifying, assessing, and managing individuals who may have been exposed to an infectious disease, interrupting further transmission.
- COVID EconomicsCOVID-19 Economics, Coronavirus Economics
- The application of health economic evaluation to COVID-19, covering vaccination programmes, treatment strategies, and public health interventions such as testing.
D
- Determinant of HealthHealth Determinant, Factor Influencing Health
- In health economics and public health, a factor that influences the health of individuals or populations, spanning behavioural, social, environmental and biological causes, and shaping the burden of disease that interventions and policy aim to reduce.
E
- Emergency PolicyEmergency Preparedness Policy, Health Crisis Policy
- Government or health system policy governing preparedness for and response to public health emergencies, including stockpiling and surge capacity planning.
F
- Field EpidemiologyApplied Epidemiology, Outbreak Epidemiology
- The application of epidemiological methods to investigate and respond to acute public health problems, such as outbreaks, in real time.
G
- Global Health SecurityGHS, Epidemic Preparedness Capacity
- The collective capacity of the international community to prevent, detect, and respond to acute public health threats crossing national borders.
- Good CharacteristicGood Property, Goods Classification Characteristic
- In health economics, a property used to classify health goods and services by their rivalry in consumption and their excludability, explaining why provisions such as public health protection behave as public goods that private markets undersupply while most treatments behave as private goods.
H
- Healthcare PolicyHealth Care Policy, Delivery System Policy
- A subset of health policy focused specifically on organising, financing, and regulating the healthcare delivery system, distinct from broader public health policy.
- Helminth EconomicsWorm Infection Economics, Helminthiasis Economics
- The application of health economic evaluation to parasitic worm infections, a significant public health burden in many low- and middle-income countries.
I
- Immunisation ProgrammeImmunization Programme, Vaccination Programme
- A coordinated public health effort to vaccinate a population against one or more infectious diseases according to a defined schedule.
L
- Lung Cancer ScreeningLDCT Screening, Pulmonary Cancer Screening
- A public health strategy using low-dose CT imaging to detect lung cancer in individuals with a significant smoking history, at an earlier stage.
M
- Mobile HealthmHealth, Health on Mobile
- The use of mobile devices, such as smartphones, to support healthcare delivery and public health practice, from reminders to disease management.
N
- Newborn ScreeningNeonatal Screening, Heel-Prick Screening
- A public health programme testing newborns shortly after birth for serious, typically treatable conditions before symptoms would otherwise appear.
O
- Opioid Use EconomicsOpioid Economics, Opioid Crisis Economics
- The application of health economic evaluation to opioid use disorder, covering medication-assisted treatment, overdose prevention, and broader public health responses.
- Outbreak CostCost of Outbreak, Epidemic Cost
- The total economic burden of an infectious disease outbreak, covering direct healthcare costs, public health response spending, and productivity losses.
P
- Pandemic CostCost of Pandemic, Pandemic Economic Burden
- The total economic burden of a pandemic, covering direct healthcare costs, public health response spending, and broader economic disruption beyond health.
- Pandemic PolicyPandemic Response Policy, Outbreak Policy
- Government policy governing pandemic preparedness and response, covering surveillance systems, vaccine and treatment stockpiling, and coordinated public health protocols.
- Prostate Cancer ScreeningPSA Screening, Prostate Screening
- A public health strategy using PSA blood testing to detect prostate cancer in asymptomatic men, debated given the risk of overdiagnosis.
- Public HealthPopulation Health Protection, Health Protection
- The science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through the organised efforts of society.
- Public Health PolicyPopulation Health Policy, Public-Health Legislation
- Government policy aimed at protecting and improving population health as a whole, covering prevention, promotion, and infrastructure investment.
- Public Health ProgrammePublic Health Intervention, Population Programme
- An organised population-level intervention that aims to protect or improve health, such as immunisation, screening or health-promotion campaigns.
Q
- QuarantineIsolation Measure, Movement Restriction
- A public health practice restricting movement of individuals who may have been exposed to a contagious disease but are not confirmed infected.
S
- Screening ProgrammeScreening Program, Population Screening
- An organised public health initiative systematically testing an eligible population for early disease signs, before symptoms would otherwise prompt care-seeking.
- Self-Harm EconomicsEconomics of Self-Harm, Self-Injury Economics
- The application of health economic evaluation to self-harm behaviours and prevention, covering crisis intervention, psychotherapy, and public health strategies.
- Stockpiling EconomicsEconomics of Stockpiling, Strategic Reserve Economics
- The application of health economic evaluation to decisions about maintaining reserve medical supplies, such as vaccines, in advance of a public health emergency.
W
- WHOWorld Health Organization, World Health Organisation
- The World Health Organization, a United Nations agency coordinating international public health efforts and setting global health standards.